By Ngozi Uwujare
Operatives of the Benue State Police Command have arrested two suspected kidnappers identified as Peter Adurah, 21, and Victor Ahambe, 23. It was reported that they, along with Cyprian Depuun a.k.a Doggy and other gang members of Supreme Vikings Confraternity, have been involved in several kidnappings in the state.
The suspects allegedly kidnapped 23-year-old Terungua Albert Ikon, a graduate of Theatre Arts and Music from the Benue State University who hails from Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. He was subsequently murdered.
After his abduction, Ikon was fatally beaten, stabbed and shot in the head. His corpse was dumped at River Benue under Old Bridge, in Makurdi, the state capital.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wale Abass told Saturday Sun that the incident happened on April 13, 2022. The deceased’s father, Augustine Agbor Ikon and his daughter, Jessica, went to the office of ‘Operation Zenda’ on April 19, 2022 to report that the young man was missing and that his phone was also switched off.
Following the complaint, the police commissioner, Abass, said he ordered the Commander of Operation Zenda, Mr Justin Gberudyer, a Superintendent of Police and his team to do a thorough investigation. The team promptly swung into action through technical investigation and tracking analysis.
“They were able to arrest two suspects, Peter Adurah, 21, and Victor Ahambe, 23, who are members of Supreme Viking Confraternity in May 2022 and they confessed to the murder of Terungua Albert Ikon.
“Their Capone and the leader of the cultists, Cyprian Depuun a.k.a Doggy with other gang members, Terna Ikyegh, Sunny Christopher, Gonori Achusa and Tordue Ikyegh abducted the victim, murdered him and dumped the corpse at River Benue under Old Bridge, Makurdi,” the CP said.
He explained further that on April 13, 2022 while the late Terungua Albert Ikon was drinking in a beer parlour at Terguma Street, North Bank, Makurdi, the gang leader, Doggy, came to sit with the deceased. He bought a drink for the deceased and thereafter, ordered his gang members, including the deceased to the bank of River Benue where he robbed the deceased of his belongings, removed a pistol from his pocket and shot him on his head while the other gang members contributed to the killing by cutting him with a machete. His corpse was dumped in the river.
Mr Justin Gberudyer said the detectives had a breakthrough in May. One suspect, Victor Ahambe, a member of Supreme Vikings who was keeping the deceased’s phone was arrested. That led to the arrest of another member, Peter Adurah, and the alleged killer, Cyprian and other gang members.
Gberudyer told Saturday Sun: “The suspect, Victor Ahambe on May 4, 2022 took operatives of ‘Operation Zenda’ to River Benue under Old Bridge Makurdi where they shot the deceased and dumped his corpse inside River Benue. We did not recover the corpse of the deceased because the suspect could not locate exactly where they dumped the corpse. We recovered some arms and ammunitions which they used to carry out the evil act.”
CP Abass said the suspected killer, Cyprian and his cult members had been involved in several abductions of victims in the state, adding that they would kill their victims before dumping the lifeless bodies in River Benue. On September 26, 2021, they abducted one member of a rival cult, robbed him within the Makurdi axis and demanded money from him. After collecting N300, 000, from him, they took the victim to the bush, shot him and dumped his corpse inside the River Benue, Gberudyer noted.
“Also, on June 30, 2021, the same Doggy and his cult group members killed one of the students over a supremacy battle. They took all his belongings, murdered him and took out his private parts and dumped his corpse in River Benue.
“In February 2022, the same Doggy and his cult group members had a cult clash and they killed five victims in Wadata and North Bank axis. It was the Police Community Relations Council (PCRC) within Wadata axis that reported the case to ‘A’ Division in Makurdi. There was a joint operation between Operation Zenda and policemen of A Division who raided the Wadata axis and arrested some of the cult members who are members of the Black Axe and Supreme Vikings. They recovered some sophisticated weapons and charms from them and the ten suspects were charged to court and were remanded at Makurdi Correctional Centre.
“On December 10, 2021, the same cult group attacked two victims, robbed them and collected all their belongings. They took the victims to the bush and killed them. They also dumped the bodies inside the River Benue. The family of the victims reported the case to A Division over the sudden disappearance of their husbands.
“On January 15, 2022, the same cult group had a faceoff with Black Axe, a rival cult which almost led to death. Upon hearing this, Operation Zenda responded swiftly and foiled the cult clashes even as the principal actors escaped from the scene.”
The father of the deceased, Mr. Augustine Agbor Ikon has since then been in a mourning mood. But in a chat, he expressed gratitude to the police for apprehending the killers of his son.
He told Saturday Sun: “My late son, Terungua Albert was a graduate of Theatre Arts from Benue State University and he was a professional musician. My late son left home on April 13, 2022 and we did not see him for six days as he didn’t return home. I went to the station and visited Operation Zenda on April 19, over the disappearance of my son. I did not believe that my son was dead and was killed by cult members called Supreme Vikings. His phone was switched off. Operation Zenda assisted us through intelligence gathering and arrested one of the suspects who confessed to the policemen that their gang leader Capon, ‘Doggy’ ordered my son to the bush after drinking with him. They took him to the bush, shot him dead and dumped his corpse inside River Benue.
“My son is innocent. He was never involved with them in any crime and he only used music to entertain people. I want to know why they killed my son. I am in agony and pain over my son’s death. Where do I start another life from? This world is wicked. I want to thank the Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass who assisted us in arresting the suspects. We want justice to be done. The suspects took the police operatives to the riverbank where they dumped my son, but they did not see the corpse. I want justice to be done in this case,” he stated.
One of the suspects, Victor Ahambe also spoke with the reporter. Here’s his story: “We are 30 members of the club in Supreme Vikings Confraternity. We have been involved in several abductions and killing of victims, collecting their valuable items and after killing them, we dump their corpses in River Benue under Old Bridge Makurdi. We have a gang leader, Doggy.
“It was Doggy and Gonori Achusa that took him to River Benue and robbed the deceased of his belongings. Doggy also killed Ikon with a pistol around 6pm when nobody was in the bush. He ordered us to dump the deceased’s corpse inside the River Benue which we did. I was using the deceased’s phone, and it was through the phone that I was arrested in May 2022 in Makurdi. I have confessed to the police operatives and I took them to the River Benue where we dumped the deceased’s corpse,” he said.
When the reporter visited the Benue State University, one of the students, John Jonah, raised the alarm that the institution was facing a lot of problems over cult rivalries.
“The cult leader, Doggy, alongside his cult members, have killed several students who belonged to different cults. It has always been a war situation between the Black Axe and Supreme Vikings. We were shocked when we learnt that a brilliant former student was shot, killed and his corpse dumped inside River Benue. Doggy and his cult members regularly extorted money from students and threatened to kill them. We have lodged complaints to the school authorities. We are happy that the police have arrested some of the cult members who brutally dealt with students. We want justice to be done. We have been suffering for over four years in the hands of these evil killers,” he said.
A member of the institution’s management team who didn’t want his name mentioned, admitted that there were some cult members on the campus, but insisted that the institution’s authorities alongside the police and vigilantes had succeeded in flushing a good number of the cultists out of the institution.
CP Abass said the command had arrested those involved in the killing of late Terungua Albert Ikon. He urged the public to give more information on those currently on the run to the police while asserting that those arrested would soon be charged to court.